Everything You Need To Know About SAT!

Everything You Need To Know About SAT!

So you’re a recent high school graduate looking to pursue the dream of getting into one of the bigger American universities and enjoy your next 4 years in college just as portrayed in those multi-million dollar Hollywood movies. Odds are before your big dreams are realized you’ve probably heard of SAT exams and how you have to take them before you’re accepted into one of these dreamy American Universities. But what exactly is SAT? How do you go about taking it? Read on for all these and more are answered in the article below.

What is SAT?

SAT or the Scholastic Aptitude Test is one of the two standardized college admission tests with the other one being ACT. It’s run by the College Board which is a non-profit that also handles the reputed AP (Advanced Placement) Programme.

What is covered by the SAT?

The SAT has ten sections, the first being the essay, followed by two sections in reading, two in math, one for writing and one section which consists of an experimental section of 25 minutes each. After that, there’s 20-min reading, math and one last 10-minute writing section. The good news, however, is that most questions are multiple choices.

When Should You Take SAT?

The best time to take a SAT exam is the end of your 11th grade (Year 12). At this point, you’ve covered almost all that has to be done at school and can try to re-attempt the SAT exams since you’d have enough time before the application dates.

The Scoring Method

After taking the SAT, you’ll be marked somewhere between 600 and 2400 which is essentially all your marks added together from the reading, math and writing (each is between 200 and 800).

Basically, you start with a score for each area (reading, math etc): The raw score being, the number of questions you got right minues ¼ times the number of questions you got wrong (SAT deducts marks for each question you answer incorrectly, in some cases it is better to leave the question entirely to save points!). The total is then converted by a process calling equating. The average SAT score is around 1500 and re-attempting your SAT exams is a very common thing for applicants not happy with their total.

What is a competitive SAT Score?

The average SAT score is 1080, however, you can only use that as a reference point- the better way would be to check on the website of the university you want to apply to and try to achieve their requirement of a respectable SAT score.

How Do You Start Preparing For SAT?

There are several ways to prepare for the SAT exams, you can always buy the book and try to self-study, however, the recommended way would be to study under a tutor as they know the ins and outs of the exam and can really help you work smart instead of needlessly working hard! Here is a handy link to a SAT tutor center!